These Texts Frankenstein and Blade Runner Explore Challenging and Exciting Concepts but Are Also Fraught with Dangers for Humankind. Compare and Contrast How Shelley and Scott Have Represented This Idea Despite

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Mary Shelley and Ridley Scott are profoundly influenced by markedly different contexts in their exploration of new and exciting concepts associated with the technological advancements of the 1800s and 1980s, respectively. In her novel Frankenstein, Shelley draws upon new and exciting developments in the field of Galvanism as the basis of her portrayal of Victor Frankenstein’s creation of the Being, while in the film Blade Runner, Scott reflects upon advancements in reproductive technologies such as IVF and cloning as well as economic developments such as globalisation and consumerism in his depiction of Tyrell’s Replicants. In exploring these concepts, Shelley and Scott similarly consider ideas such as how far it is possible to go with science and the dangers for humankind associated with the failure to exercise responsibility over one’s creation. Despite being written in different centuries, Frankenstein and Blade Runner both address the negative consequences of creating life artificially, which suggests that although exciting, progress is fraught with dangers for humankind when creators don’t address the morality of their behavior. In Blade Runner, Scott explores the innovative and exciting ideas associated with being able to create ‘perfect’ life, however, he suggests that cloning technology can be dangerous for humankind when creations are just as intelligent and strong as humans. The Replicants are described as “more human than human” by Tyrell, their creator, when he tells Roy Batty, “You were made as well as we could make you”. However, despite being shown to be perfect, this is shown to be fraught with danger for humankind as they are lethal in their quest to reach Tyrell and compel him to give them more life. Early in the film, Deckard gets given the job “retiring” the NEXUS 6 Replicant’s that “…Slaughtered twenty-three people and jumped a shuttle…”

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